Shawn’s Thoughts On The Wonder Woman Trailer

She's NOT in the Trailer!

Along with the Justice League Trailer, Warner Brothers debuted a Wonder Woman trailer at San Diego Comic Con. At least that’s who they want us to believe this female is. This isn’t the Princess Diana of Paradise Island. She’s Conan with a clitoris.

There’s a powerful Amazon on the screen of this so-called Wonder Woman Movie. And her story starts just like the story of Wonder Woman with a guy named Steve Trevor getting his plane shot down and crashing near a place called Paradise Island. There a girl named Diana finds him, hears his story and wants to go to man’s world to help him fight the war. 

It kind of sounds like Wonder Woman’s origin. But as you watch the trailer you soon realize something is wrong. The setting for this so-called Wonder Woman story is 1917, World War I, not the World War II the real Wonder Woman made her debut in. And Paradise Island isn’t a place of peace filled with a group of relaxed, happy-go-lucky women who have built an advanced society with technological wonders like the Purple Ray or the Invisible Jet. No, these women are aggressive females who live for violence and war.

Nor is this Princess Diana been granted powers by ALL the Greek Gods. In a butchering of the character’s history, Diana is now the daughter of Zeus, not a child made of clay and brought to life by the gods. What makes Wonder Woman distinct is that she gets her life and her power from all the Greek gods. The beauty of Aphrodite. The wisdom of Athena. The speed of Hermes. All the stuff that enables her to do all those feats and Wonders.

 And this Princess Diana strays from the mission of the Wonder Woman in the comics. She isn’t disguising herself as a Yeoman in the United States Navy who desires to be near Steve Trevor and the action so she can help men and women out during the war. Nor is she a diplomat who knows how to use her grace and social skills to facilitate amicable relationships with foreign powers as a representative of Paradise Island and the U.S Military. The kind of woman who tries to facilitate a peaceful resolution to conflict and only uses violence as a last resort.

 No, this woman needs to have a sword and shield to do most of her wonders. A magic lasso just isn’t enough for her to fight straw men and paper tigers.

Worse, this Princess Diana lacks the heart and compassion of the real Diana of Paradise Island. The woman onscreen expresses no love or caring for much of anyone. She’s colder than a block of ice in Antarctica. In most of the frames she’s an aggressive bully with an attitude. The kind of woman who overcompensates for her insecurities being around men by wearing her sword with an evening gown. The kind of woman who doesn’t value being a woman. The kind of woman who wants to be a man and take the place of a man in society. Basically, Conan with a clitoris.

What was in that trailer was what Social Justice Warriors and Third Wave Feminists imagine Wonder Woman as, but not who she truly is. There’s a lot more to Wonder Woman than the surface. Unfortunately Warner Brothers didn’t dig deep enough to show it in that trailer.

Yeah, Wonder Woman is a feminist concept created by William Moulton Marston. But what I saw in the trailer betrays the spirit of the character he designed. Marston wanted to create a female hero with the strength and power equal to male heroes like Superman, but knew inside and out she was a woman.  While we saw the wonder onscreen, we didn’t see what made her a woman.

And that’s what’s wrong with the new Wonder Woman movie. The woman onscreen is physically strong and powerful. But Wonder Woman’s greatest strength comes from being warm, caring, compassionate, and understanding. Yes, she can hold her own with the men while fighting the bad guys. But what makes her GREAT is how she is a friend to anyone who asks for her help. It’s hard to see the character Gal Gadot plays having any of Wonder Woman’s heart and love for humanity.

 Yes, Warner Brothers Wonder Woman looks like an entertaining action packed period film. However, it lacks any warmth, heart or personality. It’s a cold indifferent viewing experience that doesn’t capture the essence of who Wonder Woman truly is. What you see onscreen is Gal Gadot in a costume that kind of looks like Wonder Woman’s playing a character that acts like she’s a fusion of Conan and Xena. A woman we’re told is an Amazon. Unfortunately, she’s not the ambassador of peace and goodwill Wonder Woman is. For all the Wonder onscreen, Warner Brothers forgot all about what makes Diana a great woman.

As a guy who writes strong heroines like Isis, E’steem, Colleen Anderson, and Matilda Crowley, I was really disappointed by the Wonder Woman Trailer. Instead of Wonder Woman fans getting a story about Princess Diana a woman who displays the strength of character to do what’s right for others, we get a movie featuring a self-righteous hypermasculine female who does what’s right for herself. That’s not the kind of hero I believe William Moulton Marston envisioned Wonder Woman to be, and I don’t think it’s the kind of hero a girl should aspire to become.

It’s a shame that Warner Brothers won’t produce a movie that DC fans can’t get behind and get excited about. Maybe if Warner Brothers would let their characters be themselves and stop trying to change their characters to fit some director and some executive’s vision of them, fans might have a reason to spend money on a movie ticket at the box office.